Author to share Carnation history

Jerry Mader will read from his new book, “Carnation Verbatim — A Snoqualmie Valley Memoir,” 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Sno-Valley Senior Center, 4610 Stevens Ave. in Carnation.

Mader describes the volume as a fine art coffee table book documenting oral histories of elder citizens native to the Snoqualmie Valley and the community of Tolt/Carnation, with photographic portraits he took of the elders.

Mader will read selections from several of the oral histories in the volume, and many of the elders represented in the book will be available to sign copies.

With the help of 4Culture grants, Mader began the project in 2005 and since then has photographed 28 seniors, octogenarians and nonagenarians, and recorded 27 life histories.

In addition to editing the transcripts, Mader wrote a brief history of Tolt/Carnation (including the tale of its double name) and commentary on the process of oral history and its relevance within the scope of regional history.

The elders presented in this volume came of age in the small rural community of Tolt/Carnation, where they remained, married and raised their families. Their parents and grandparents were among the Valley’s first settlers.

The portraits are permanently installed at Pete’s Grill & Pub in Carnation. The entire collection, photographs and oral histories, is archived in the Tolt Historical Society Museum collection in Carnation.